The sudden resignation of Debbie Jevans as head of the World Cup organizing committee on Friday has led to claims that "she had lost the support" of Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie, the man who appointed her, according to Alex Lowe of the LONDON TIMES. Jevans cited "personal reasons" when she announced she was standing down as CEO of England Rugby 2015 with immediate effect, "less than six months before the tournament begins." It is understood that "her departure was precipitated by a breakdown in her relationship with the RFU, which is still refusing to issue any comment on her resignation or her contribution." Ticket sales "are the RFU’s only direct income stream from the World Cup and a total of 1.9 million have been bought so far." Her decision to recruit a number of colleagues from the London Olympic organizing committee and the "lack of rugby nous" at ER2015 did not sit well with everyone at Twickenham (LONDON TIMES, 3/30). In London, Charles Sale wrote the extent of the fall-out between Jevans and the RFU hierarchy "has started to emerge." Jevans "had become so exasperated with the increasing level of interference" that "she felt she couldn’t work at Twickenham any longer." But it is now understood that "the RFU had become equally fed up with the way Jevans always demanded her own way -- as in her previous role as director of sport at the London Olympics" -- and did not properly accommodate the host nation position at a World Cup where the financial guarantee stops with them. And although Jevans resigned of her own accord, the RFU "made no attempt to change her mind." The crucial relationship between Ritchie and Jevans "had began to unravel over the last few months and culminated in a series of huge rows in Ritchie’s office at Twickenham last week." This led RFU Chair Bill Beaumont to tell a member of staff, "We’ve got a major problem here." The exact flashpoint that forced Jevans to resign less than six months before the start of the tournament "is not known." But staffing levels at ER 2015 "are known to concern the RFU with nearly 200 already on the ER 2015 payroll." The split with Ritchie "also left Jevans isolated as she made no attempt to embrace the rugby fraternity or commercial agencies like IMG." Certainly, "the clubs regarded her as very difficult to deal with -- unplayable some even said" (DAILY MAIL, 3/29).
